Craniosynostosis : current treatment and future therapy

Craniosynostosis, the premature fusion of cranial sutures, is one of the most common congenital craniofacial conditions. It can lead to severe neurological and cognitive deficits in children. Surgery, with its inherent risks, is currently the only therapeutic modality. In the investigation of growth factors involved in cranial suture biology, including the fibroblast growth factors (FGF), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), and BMP antagonists, potential targets for biologically based therapy are identified. With new developments in nucleic-acid based therapeutics, it is conceivable that these growth factors can be targeted with gene therapy to serve as an adjunct to minimally invasive surgery.